Benson Tire & Auto Service

I took my husband's car to get the AC re-charged. They called me after a few hours and said the AC Compressor and drier needed to be replaced for $1207. I told them I didn't want them to do the work. I had to pay them $88 for the diagnosis. My dad took the car to his mechanic the next day. The mechanic said the AC Compressor was working fine. more

I had a problem other dealers had problems with. Benson tried and failed as the other shop had, but they kept at it with the owner referring to his wife's car and they fixed my car completely and then did not charge any extra. Repeat they did not charge extra. It was as a strater electrontic part that they got right. I highly recommend this store for quality and honesty. more

On 6/27/2010, my truck was parked in a parking lot near Oakland when suddenly it would no longer start. I had the vehicle towed to Benson Tire & Automotive in order to have it fixed. I was suspicious that the starter itself would not be a problem, because I have had starter problems in the past and this seemed electrical. On 6/28/2010, a mechanic at Benson called to inform me that my starter was indeed the issue and that it needed to be removed and replaced. I put my trust in the mechanic's expertise and paid $450.76 to have my starter replaced with a remanufactured starter. \r \r On 9/6/2010, my truck exhibited the same starting problem as it did on 6/27/2010. This time, it occurred closer to home, so I took it to a trusted shop local maintenance shop. I was able to push start the vehicle in order to get it there that evening. On 6/29/2010, one of the mechanics at the local shop called to let me know that the problem was a broken clutch switch (aka. clutch lockout switch) which needed to be replaced. This repair cost me $131.74. When I arrived at the shop to pick up my vehicle, the mechanci showed me the broken clutch switch that had been removed. It was wrapped in electrical tape that looked fresh and was still very sticky. \r \r It is apparent to me that the individuals at Benson Tire & Automotive discovered the clutch switch issue when I brought my truck into the shop in Oakland on 6/27/2010 and simply taped the old switch and charged me for a new starter plus $165 worth of labor. I also have the broken clutch switch with the electrical tape still on it. I am very much looking forward to pressing my case in order to hopefully recover the $450.76 for work that I believe was never accomplished. more

I went in to have 2 tires put on the front of my suv. The tires they mounted on my car said 'Ameri star' on the sidewalls. The tires I PURCHASED were supposed to be a current model Goodyear Grabber tires. They charged me full price and let me off on my merry way, of course after trying to get another $700 worth of work out of me... A few days later I was researching my new tires when I learned of the switch! According to Goodyear's corp. office, the tires they mounted on my vehicle have NOT been manufactured in four years. As of yet I am waiting to speak to the owner of this location... more

*****UPDATE **** I called them back later and reasoned with another one of their guys. After I found the problem, they fixed it for cheap and did a free inspection. \r \r \r \r These guys do expensive voodoo mechanics, they don't know what they're doing. \r \r I took my car in for a specific problem, they drove it around, ran a diagnostic test, said it needed an oil change only (2.5k miles since last oil change), and charged me $150 for that ""diagnostic"". \r \r The car still has the major problem. They said they have no idea what the problem is, and admitted to being wrong last time. \r \r They want to charge me $98 again, and again everytime they want to try to find the problem on a different part of the car.\r \r Avoid this place like the pest! I'm filing a complaint against them. Pros: They look friendly Cons: They're VERY EXPENSIVE, CLUELESS, INCOMPETENT more

i visited a month ago, and while they replaced my tire, they noticed a mistake the dealership had made in installing another one. they fixed this for no extra charge. i was in a rush and they were fast! today i went for an oil change, and THEY REMEMBERED ME. asked me if i'd gotten to my appointment in time. after being told to park my car, a big truck kept beeping at me to move it. i went up to the driver's window to explain why i wasn't moving, and he refused to stop beeping. the man at benson came out and said, ""no one messes with my customers!"" (he wasn't rude to the driver either, though). i got a coupon from the dealership for an oil change, $29, and benson's regular price for same service is two bucks cheaper. Pros: customer service, quick more